Air conditioning device



y 1935. A. THOUSAND 2,002,023

AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed July 28, 1933 Q Wk Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Adolph Thousand, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application July 28, 1933, Serial No. 682,622

3 Claims.

My invention relates to air conditioning devices and has particular relation to a system for furnishing air for a fuel burner, for humidifying and positively circulating the air in a heating system in cold weather, and for furnishing cooled air in hot weather.

The proper conditioning of the air in a building results from the proper regulation of several factors or qualities. In the winter time it is desirable that the air in a building be heated to maintain it at a comfortable body temperature and in accomplishing this result it has been found that air of high humidity is most desirable and eflicient. Furthermore in the operation of fluid fuel burners, it is well known that when air of high humidity is mixed with atomized fuel and the mixture burned, more complete combustion occurs and higher efliciency of the heating system results than if air of low humidity is used.

In hot weather it is more desirable that air of low humidity be used since air of low humidity facilitatesevaporation and thus facilitates cooling. It is also desirable that cold air be pumped from the basement or other cooled enclosures, orfrom special cooling devices, up into the house to furnish cool circulated air in hot weather.

It is, therefore, a general object of my invention to provide a, single unitary means for fully conditioning, that is, furnishing moisture to, heating, cooling and circulating, the air of a building.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a combined means for furnishing air to a. fluid fuel burner and for circulating the air in an air conditioning system.

Another object of my invention is to provide a single means for humidifying, that is raising the moisture content of, the air furnished a fluid fuel burner and the air used in a. heating system.

Another object of my invention is to furnish means for drawing cold air into an air circulating system and pumping it into a building.

Other and further objects and features of my invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification, wherein is disclosed an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation of a fluid fuel burner to which an air circulating device, constructed according to my invention, has been attached. Parts of the device havebeen broken away to show the construction of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a means by which a portion of the air pumped from the blower of a burner is diverted for furnishing forced circulation of the heated air.

Figure 3 is a plan view of an air conditioning system constructed according to my invention. A part of the devices in the system are shown in section for the purpose of better illustrating the construction and operation of the parts of the system.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown at I0, generally, a rectangular base plate adapted to be supported on a floor or other base by means of standards H and I2, the spacing of the plate from the floor being regulated by means of nuts 13 which are threaded on to the standard and which are adapted to engage suitable brackets ll on the base plate.

A blower housing I6 is supported on the base plate, and a discharge conduit l1 extends forwardly from the blower housing to discharge air therefrom. A three-way branch conduit member or branch I8, is secured to the frontend of the discharge conduit l1 and a blast tube I9 is secured to the middle branch 2| of the branch 18. Electrodes 22 are located in the blast conduit I9 in accordance with usual practice and conductors 23, leading from the ignition coil 24, furnish high-tension electricity for ignition purposes.

A conduit 26 leads from the fuel pump 21, which is mounted on the base plate 10, to a nozzle 28 which is disposed in the blast tube 18 just below the ends of the electrodes 22. Fuel is supplied to the pump 21 from any suitable source of supply by means of a fuel supply line 25 and is pumped into the conduit 26. The fuel in conduit 26 is thus under high pressure and is discharged from the nozzle 28 in a fine spray where it is mixed with air from the blower IS. The mixture of air and fuel is ignited by the ignition electrodes 22.

The fan (not shown), in the blower housing I6, is driven by means of a motor 3| which is mounted on the base plate 10 outside and to the right of the housing [6. The pump 21 is rotated by means of a large pulley 32 and the large pulley is rotated by means of a smaller pulley, located on the shaft of the motor 3|, through the agency of a belt 34. A clutch member 36 is preferably provided within the pulley 33 so that the blower may be operated without driving the fuel pump. Any suitable clutch mechanism may be employed, and therefore a description of the clutch mechanism is not included at this time.

A humidifier unit, preferably constructed according to my co-pending application flled July 28, 1933, Serial Number 682,621, on Air conditioning device, is preferably fastened on the left side of the blower housing l6, and an elbow 36 or other suitable conduit is fastened to the humidifier 31. By this means air is drawn in by the blower l6 through the elbow 38 and humidifier. 31, and is discharged through the discharge conduit l1 and blast tube l9, or is discharged through side branches 4| and 42 of the branch l8 for a. purpose hereinafter described. A. butterfly valve or damper 43 is provided in the main portion 2| of the branch l8 and the position of this butterfly valve may be regulated by means of a control lever 44 which has frictional engagement with the notches of a quadrant 46.

In installing the air conditioning device in a furnace (see Figure 3) the blast tube is inserted through a door 41 in the jacket 48 of the furnace so that the end of the tube projects almost into the fire box 49, in order that the flame, indicated at 5|, will be within the fire box. The blast tube within the furnace is enclosed by means of a wall 52 of refractory material in accordance with usual practice. The branches 4| and 42 of the branch member I8 are connected by means of pipe conduits 53 and 54 with the chamber 56 between the furnace wall 49 and the jacket 48. The pipes 53 and 54 are connected at the lower portion of the jacket 48 and large conduits'5l and 58 are connected to the upper portion of the jacket 48 to carry heated air off from the chamber 56.

In operating the conditioning device as an air heater, the clutch 36 is engaged and the motor 3| energized to pump air from the air inlet furnished by conduit 38, through the humidifier 31, through the blower l6, and out through the blast tube 9. Fuel is furnished to the nozzle 28 by the pump 21, andthe coil 24 is energized by the same circuit which energizes the motor, to ignite the mixture of air and oil to furnish a flame for heating the wall 49 of the furnace. The same electrical circuit which energizes the motor 3| is also electrically connected to an electrically actuated valve 35 associated with the humidifier 31 to open the valve and permit water to fiow into the humidifier to humidify and wash the air passing through the humidifier.

When the burner is being used and it is desired to use the blower to circulate air through the air circulating system, the butterfly valve 43 is set so as to divert a portion of the air into the pipes 53 and 54. By this means the humidified air is pumped into the chamber 56, where it is heated, and is then driven out through the large conduits 51 and 58.

It is apparent that with the above described setting, action and operation of the parts of the device, the burner is actuated to furnish heat for the furnace, and that air of a high moisture content is furnished to the blast conduit IS, in order that the flame may burn with thehighest possible efliciency. At the same time, a portion of the air from the blower I6 is diverted and flows through the conduits 53 and 54 into the chamber 56 and is discharged therefrom to afford forced circulation of the heated air.

In the summer time when heating is not required the clutch 36 is disconnected and the valve 35, associated with the humidifier 31, is closed It is apparent that I have provided a complete air conditioning means which may be used both summer and winter without modification except to engage or disengage the clutch 36, open or close the butterfly valve 43, and open or close the valve 35 associated with the humidifier 31.

It is apparent that modifications of my invention may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an air conditioning device including a hot air furnace having a jacket, a conventional fluid fuel burner including a blower and a fuel pump for furnishing atomized fuel and air to the fire box of the furnace and driving means for driving the blower and fuel pump, a humidifying device for humidifying the air passing through the blower, means for controlling the admission of water to the humidifying device, means for disconnecting the fuel pump from the driving means of the fluid fuel burner, and conduits for directing air from the blower selectively into the combustion chamber and hot air jacket of the furnace.

2. In an air conditioning device, a hot air furnace having a jacket, a blower and a humidifier operatively associated with the blower to furnish moisture to the air stream thereof, a blast conduit leading from the discharge conduit of the blower to the combustion chamber of the furnace, a fuel pump, a fuel conduit leading from the fuel pump to the blast conduit for supplying fuel to the blast conduit, a motor for driving the blower and the fuel pump, a clutch for disengaging the motor from the fuel pump, means for controlling the fiow of water into the humidifier, another conduit leading from the blower and connected to the hot air jacket of the furnace, and means for controlling the amount of air passing through the blast conduit in order to divert any desired portion of the air from the blower into the hot air jacket of the furnace.

3. In an air conditioning device, a furnace, a hot air jacket about the furnace, a fluid fuel burner including a blower, means for driving the blower, and a blast tube connected to the combustion chamber of the furnace and to the discharge conduit of the blower, a humidifier connected with the intake of the blower, a valve for controlling the fiow of water into the humidifier, a pump, fuel conduit and nozzle for furnishing fuel to the blast tube of the burner, means for driving the pump from the means employed to drive the blower, means for disconnecting the pump from the drive means, a conduit for conducting 'air from the blower to the hot air jacket of the furnace, and means for controlling the quantity of air passing through the blast tube, whereby in cold weather the valve controlling the fiow of water into the humidifier may be opened, the pump connected to the drive means, and the means for controlling the flow of air through the blast tube partly opened, to furnish humidified air for combustion purposes and for forcing circulation of air through the hot air jacket, and whereby, in hot weather. the valve leading to the humidifier may be closed, the pump disconnected from the drive means, the blast tube closed off, and the blower used for providing forced circulation of cool air from the basement into the rooms of the building which the air conditioning device serves.

ADOLPH THOUSAND. 

